General Discussion

n2doc

(47,953 posts) Wed Jan 21, 2015, 09:55 PM Jan 2015

Billionaire Sez “America’s lifestyle expectations are far too high and need to be adjusted"

Billionaire Jeff Greene, who amassed a multibillion dollar fortune betting against subprime mortgage securities, says the U.S. faces a jobs crisis that will cause social unrest and radical politics.

“America’s lifestyle expectations are far too high and need to be adjusted so we have less things and a smaller, better existence,” Greene said in an interview today at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “We need to reinvent our whole system of life.”

The 60-year-old founder of Coral Gables, Florida-based Florida Sunshine Investments said his biggest fund was up more than 20 percent last year with bets on Apple Inc. (AAPL), Google Inc. (GOOG), bank stocks and mortgage-backed securities.

“I’m remarkably long for my level of pessimism,” he said. “Our economy is in deep trouble. We need to be honest with ourselves. We’ve had a realistic level of job destruction, and those jobs aren’t coming back.”

Greene, who flew his wife, children and two nannies on a private jet plane to Davos for the week, said he’s planning a conference in Palm Beach, Florida, at the Tideline Hotel called “Closing the Gap.” The event, which he said is scheduled for December, will feature speakers such as economist Nouriel Roubini.

more
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-21/billionaire-greene-goes-long-on-u-s-while-bemoaning-jobs-crisis.html

17 replies

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Highlight:

Billionaire Sez “America’s lifestyle expectations are far too high and need to be adjusted" (Original Post) n2doc Jan 2015 OP

He is consulting with how to be a fuck up and destroy ME states, Tony Blair? n/t Jefferson23 Jan 2015 #1

My dream f retiring and being able to go fishing when I want and drink beer mostly within brewens Jan 2015 #2

Worried about the torches and pitchforks coming for him. Lex Jan 2015 #3

exactly - and it may not be long, either hopemountain Jan 2015 #14

+1000 smirkymonkey Jan 2015 #15

All you peasants need to become poorer while I keep my wealth! - That message will resonate well. chrisa Jan 2015 #4

We need to tax away 90 pct of this twit's wealth. roamer65 Jan 2015 #5

Wife children two nannies private jet to Davos.....just WHO needs an adjustment here? SammyWinstonJack Jan 2015 #6

really. do these people even understand how disgusting and stupid they sound? not to mention ND-Dem Jan 2015 #7

NO, Billionaires' lifestyle expectations are far too high and need to be adjusted LiberalElite Jan 2015 #8

America's tolerance of douchebag gazillionaires is too high and KingCharlemagne Jan 2015 #9

That is the whole purpose behind these international trade deals. They want to lower the liberal_at_heart Jan 2015 #10

High expectations? HeiressofBickworth Jan 2015 #11

Has this guy ever done anything in life that mattered besides betting against subprime mortgage aint_no_life_nowhere Jan 2015 #12

Did he say that with a straight face? Coventina Jan 2015 #13

He needs to have his expectations readjusted. hifiguy Jan 2015 #16

Maybe he could have his own expectations readjusted with some hot tar and fluffy feathers. Hekate Jan 2015 #17

Jefferson23

(30,099 posts)

1. He is consulting with how to be a fuck up and destroy ME states, Tony Blair? n/t

Reply to n2doc (Original post)

Wed Jan 21, 2015, 10:04 PM

Jan 2015

brewens

(13,622 posts)

2. My dream f retiring and being able to go fishing when I want and drink beer mostly within

Reply to n2doc (Original post)

Wed Jan 21, 2015, 10:23 PM

Jan 2015

100 miles of where I lived all my life is asking too much? Okay, I live in Idaho where the fishing is really freakin' good and a lot of people pay big bucks to get to it, but I don't have to. I'm not even an expensive beer guy either. I appreciate a fine craft brew as well as anyone, but I'll go fishin' with my "good buddy Weiser" most days!

Didn't some japanese trade minister give the same crap to Bush Sr. one time? Telling him our people ask too much? What was he afraid of? Japanese dudes wising up and stopping working themselves to death to live in a little box?

Lex

(34,108 posts)

3. Worried about the torches and pitchforks coming for him.

Reply to n2doc (Original post)

Wed Jan 21, 2015, 10:26 PM

Jan 2015

Historically he knows what happens when a large gap exists between the 1% super rich and the 99% poor.

hopemountain

(3,919 posts)

14. exactly - and it may not be long, either

Reply to Lex (Reply #3)

Thu Jan 22, 2015, 09:34 PM

Jan 2015

with respect for the continuing increase in the number of homeless & hungry families and persons unable to keep a roof over their heads or eat regularly with minimum wages. a recipe for revolution.

smirkymonkey

(63,221 posts)

15. +1000

Reply to Lex (Reply #3)

Thu Jan 22, 2015, 10:17 PM

Jan 2015

chrisa

(4,524 posts)

4. All you peasants need to become poorer while I keep my wealth! - That message will resonate well.

Reply to n2doc (Original post)

Wed Jan 21, 2015, 10:28 PM

Jan 2015

roamer65

(36,747 posts)

5. We need to tax away 90 pct of this twit's wealth.

Reply to n2doc (Original post)

Wed Jan 21, 2015, 10:31 PM

Jan 2015

Time for some good 'ole socialism.

SammyWinstonJack

(44,130 posts)

6. Wife children two nannies private jet to Davos.....just WHO needs an adjustment here?

Reply to n2doc (Original post)

Wed Jan 21, 2015, 10:32 PM

Jan 2015

Gawd....I really hate these wealth hoarders!

ND-Dem

(4,571 posts)

7. really. do these people even understand how disgusting and stupid they sound? not to mention

Reply to SammyWinstonJack (Reply #6)

Wed Jan 21, 2015, 10:38 PM

Jan 2015

that they're the ones who took down the economy in the first place.

I wish for his wife to cheat on him and his private jet to crash. No one should die, of course -- just enough suffering to give him a long overdue attitude adjustment.

LiberalElite

(14,691 posts)

8. NO, Billionaires' lifestyle expectations are far too high and need to be adjusted

Reply to n2doc (Original post)

Wed Jan 21, 2015, 10:40 PM

Jan 2015

KingCharlemagne

(7,908 posts)

9. America's tolerance of douchebag gazillionaires is too high and

Reply to n2doc (Original post)

Wed Jan 21, 2015, 10:50 PM

Jan 2015

needs to be adjusted.

liberal_at_heart

(12,081 posts)

10. That is the whole purpose behind these international trade deals. They want to lower the

Reply to n2doc (Original post)

Wed Jan 21, 2015, 11:06 PM

Jan 2015

wages and standard of living of Americans and the trade deals are definitely accomplishing that.

HeiressofBickworth

(2,682 posts)

11. High expectations?

Reply to n2doc (Original post)

Wed Jan 21, 2015, 11:13 PM

Jan 2015

Ya mean like food, shelter, clothing, transportation, a living-wage job, health care, future retirement? Just what part of this "luxury" would he suggest we cut down?

The wealthy have blinders on -- they only see their own little world and therefore can have no understanding or compassion for anyone who has less than they do. Fuck them all.

aint_no_life_nowhere

(21,925 posts)

12. Has this guy ever done anything in life that mattered besides betting against subprime mortgage

Reply to n2doc (Original post)

Wed Jan 21, 2015, 11:17 PM

Jan 2015

securities? Why aren't they asking for the opinion of some parasitic life form who spends his day at the race track betting on horses? Jeff Greene is a parasite, a cancer, a tapeworm up America's butthole. Go make a new discovery in engineering Mr. Greene to advance society, or go make a new medical discovery to cure illness.